Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-02-03
In THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALVA MILTON KERR.
rcorYRIcHT. 1880, ny TUE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER COMPANY !.

John Earling got up and stood look
ing down at him with gall-like con-
tempt "You have acted dshonor-
ably" he said, in low voice, as If
striving not to break out into angry
words; "you have been dark where you
should have been clear, secret where
you should have been open, and you
have imposed upon me by keeping mo
ignorantl have been grateful without
a cause; be good enough to write me u
check for the original amount that we
may be done with each other at once.
Joel twisted himself around in his
char facing the young man. 81
should think had stood about enough
of your internal censurc. he began,
but John Earring stopped him with a
gesture "Writc the check" he said.
The words we had before were over
another mans wrongs. This is per-
sonal 20 myself, and decline TO quar-
rel with you,n ana he turned away TO
the window with his back TO Joel.
The big man looked at his back with q
red face WELL" he said, with an
angry puff, "Tll write the check, and
cursed If we don't quitl don't have
TO, though. young feller, want you to
understand that. l could keep the
money until you are twenty-one, just
the samein
John Earling did not look around
Joel wrote the check with his sweaty
brows drawn into a pucker. Here.
sign this receipt" he growled, present
ly. John Earling turned about and
signed the receipt calmly, took up the
check, and said: "You do not return
TO the owner that which is not your
own very gracefully. do you' / hope
you will not consider mo under any
further obligation to you. Good
afternoon, sir" and he walked out.
The silent book-kceper glanced up
and flash Of heat seemed TO pass over
him. When John Earling had gone
the book-kcepcr wiped his forehead,
and Joel, in the little Office, got up
and kicked the waste-basket of papers
over and slammed the safe door shut.
.'Confound himi he sets me on fire
like so much straw" he fum,d Hes
TO sleep Welt Amt just as good as
he isP Course he's smart, course he
can talk, but I've got more now than
he will ever have if he lives TO be as
old as a pelicanr'
The book-keeper in the outer room
heard him muttering, and the corners
of his nervous mouth twitched with
smile. As the years had advanced
with Joel, and the little puns beneath
his eyes darkened and sagged n little.
and his girth grew greater, he fretted
more than formerly, and dealt with
resistance in others less good-natured-
ly. Still, in the main, he was over
flowing with rather unsayory humor,
and adroit enough in using those about
him. But with this fine-graincd. scru-
pulous youth. he always seemed at sea
This made him angry. perhaps. in the
very soul Of the fact, more with him
solf than with the rather austere young
fellow who seemed to see through him
as II he were so much glass. Joel
. perhaps unconsciously magnifed the
others perceptions. but he could not
but feel when in contact with him, as
every selfish and ignoblc nature must
in presence Of clear intellect and
clean heart, that he was more or
less an open aud unworthy book
That John Earring went forward
ON plane above him he fen, but
would not oven confess in a whisper 10
himself He could not go up to him,
or bring him down that he might man
age him hence he was less chafcd
when he had washed himself entirely
OF the youth, as he thought; hut inside
that living time-piece which was tick
ing OF his life's seconds within his bo-
som the trouble remained, and over
him the impalpable altitude which the
other had attained